Impacts of inter-organisational knowledge transfer networks on different types of innovations in SMEs

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThis research aims to understand the contributions of inter-organisational knowledge transfer to innovation in SMEs from a social network perspective. The main objective is to identify the impact of the network characteristics on company’s innovation performance. Organisations are embedded in a network of relationships with other companies. They must make the best use of all available resources in order to survive and thrive in today’s competitive environment. However, most of the previous network studies focus on large organisations and studying network effects in the context of SMEs is not well explored. This study sheds light on the relationships between different network characteristics and two different types of innovation performance in High Tech SMEs. In this study inter-organisational knowledge transfer networks were investigated from ego-network perspective. Radical and incremental innovation was identified as specific types of innovation. More specifically this research studied the impact of the structural, relational and nodal properties of inter-organisational knowledge transfer network on radical and incremental innovation performance. In addition to network characteristics, internal capabilities of companies were also identified important. Pentathlon framework was used to capture firms’ innovation management capabilities. A survey instrument was used to collect data from a sample of UK Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs). A new innovation measurement instrument was developed to measure different types of innovation from companies’ and customers’ perspectives. The SMEs were chosen randomly from IT and Chemical industry. Inter-organisational relationships were mapped using social network techniques. Path analysis techniques including PLS were used to test the hypotheses of the study. In addition to the statistical method, Fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis was used to shed light on different combinations (various configurations) of factors that impact on radical and incremental innovation. This study has made theoretical contributions by identifying research gaps through review and synthesis of literature in innovation and inter-organisational relationships and social network theories. Moreover, a new framework was developed based on the concepts identified in social network and innovation literature. The integration of theories and concepts regarding inter-organisational relationships, innovation and social networks with a view of better understanding of the impact of network characteristics on specific types of innovation is another contribution of this study. This research shows how different network properties can help companies to achieve ambidextrousness, which is vital for organisations’ competitive advantages and long term survival. Moreover, this study reveals that the internal capabilities (innovation management practices) of a firm play a significant role in enabling the company to benefit from its network resources. It shows how different configuration of the internal capabilities and network resources can lead to a better radical/incremental innovation performance. Findings from this research can help managers to adapt their network resources according to their strategies and the level of the innovation that they want to achieve

Inter-Firm Knowledge Transfer And Innovation In SMEs:A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

This study investigates the conditions leading to higher levels of innovation using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). More specifically, using fsQCA, this study explores the impact of inter-organisational knowledge transfer networks and organisations’ internal capabilities on different types of innovation in Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) in the high-tech sector. A survey was used to collect data from a sample of UK SMEs. The findings show that although individual factors are important, there is no need for a company to perform well in all the areas to improve innovation performance. The fsQCA method, using different combinations of the key factors, revealed that there are many paths to achieve better incremental and radical innovation performance and companies need to choose the one that better matches to their abilities and fits with their resources

Identifying the configurational paths to innovation in SMEs:a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study investigates the conditions leading to a higher level of innovation. More specifically, the study explores the impact of inter-organisational knowledge transfer networks and organisations' internal capabilities on different types of innovation in Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) in the high-tech sector. A survey instrument was used to collect data from a sample of UK SMEs. The findings show that although individual factors are important, there is no need for a company to perform well in all the areas. The fsQCA, which enables the examination of the impacts of different combinations of factors, reveals that there are a number of paths to achieve better incremental and radical innovation performance. Companies need to choose the one that is closest to their abilities and fits best with their resources

The Effects of Technical-Advice Networks on Individual Adaptation to IT‑Induced Change

One of the most important conditions for effective performance and successful business operation is effective use of IT by organization members. Because of this demand in organizations, adaptation to IT-induced changes is one of the important challenges that organizations face with it. Technical-advice network has been used in order to better understand the effects of interpersonal communications on employee’s adaptation to IT-induced changes. In the other words the main focus of this research is to understand the effects of technical-advice network on individual IT-adaptation. The research is carried out by the survey method in a unit of an organization with 51 employees. Two structural characteristics of the network have been examined as antecedents to adaptability. The results of study show that the strength of ties and density of network have positive effects on individual adaptation to IT-induced change. The research provided interesting results about the effects of technical-advice networks on individual adaptation to IT-induced changes